Ephraim expects lobbying to pay off By Suzanne Dean Publisher 8-18-2016 EPHRAIM—The Ephraim City Council has approved a contract under which the city will pay $5,000 per month to a Washington, D.C. firm for lobbying and grant writing. At a meeting in late July, the council approved the contract with the Ferguson Group,…
‘Wagon Wheels to Ferris Wheels’ Sanpete County Fair in full swing By Alec Barton Staff Writer 8-18-2016 MANTI—The wheel is often used in literature to represent cycles, things that follow a pattern, ideas or events that continue through time. In selecting a theme for this year’s county fair—Sanpete’s 102nd—board members opted for a…
G-Hill road will be improved instead of blocked By Megan Batterman Staff writer 8-11-2016 GUNNISON—Protracted discussion about how to handle dust and noise stemming from the use of OHVs on a trail to “G” hill appears to have reached a solution. At a regular meeting city council meeting Wednesday, Aug. 3, which was…
How can a newspaper print the truth about public issues when public officials refuse to respond? By Robert Stevens Managing editor 8-4-2016 During my time working at the Messenger, I’ve found one of the most difficult challenges my colleagues and I face is poor cooperation from certain public officials as we try to…
Gunnison High School ball fields to get major upgrades By Megan Batterman Staff writer 8-11-2016 GUNNISON—Plans for a much needed facelift have been completed for the Gunnison Valley High School ball fields, and construction on phase one will begin in the next week or two. Jared Anderson, athletic director at the school,…
Gunnison Legacy Wall gets unexpected funding but needs help from the public to complete By Robert Stevens Managing editor 8-11-2016 GUNNISON—The unfinished center panel of the Gunnison City Legacy Wall can finally be completed thanks to grant funding from Governor Gary Herbert’s Arts and Culture Business Alliance—but help of a different…
Forest Service taking advantage of fire up Mayfield Canyon to restore natural habitat By Robert Stevens Managing editor 8-18-2016 MAYFIELD—The Forest Service is harnessing the power of a wildfire ignited by lightning to help restore some of the natural habitat to the mountains above Mayfield, says Sanpete Ranger Kyle Beagley. Last Friday,…
Ephraim City to debut Canyon View Park amphitheater with ribbon-cutting, concert By Suzanne Dean Publisher 8-11-2016 EPHRAIM—Ephraim City will debut the big new amphitheater in Canyon View Park with a ribbon cutting and family concert on Saturday from 7-9 p.m., the last weekend before school starts. Mayor Richard Squire, assisted by the Miss…
Narrows hits big stumbling block By Suzanne Dean Publisher 8-11-2016 BOUNTIFUL—The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has thrown a stumbling block in the path of the Narrows Project that could take as much as $2 million and as long as two years to surmount. In response to an application for a 404 permit…
Phone scammers are targeting Sanpete County residents By Robert Stevens Managing editor 8-11-2016 Manti—Residents of Sanpete County may be being specifically targeted for telephone-based scams. Janet McFarland, CentraCom customer service and billing manager, says she has had firsthand experience with the damage the scams are causing. “These people who get scammed are very…